Individually swingable driven axle



Sept 30, 1952 c. BRETsci-INEIDER .2,612,231

INDIVIDUALLY SWINGABLE DRIVEN AXLE 5 sheets-sheet 1` Fileg "June 28,1947 M ,w wm. -..IU f www. s m .M i

QI'NVENTOR. A' f c. BRETSCHNEIDER INDIVIDUALLY swINGABLE: DRIVEN AXLE:

Sept. 30, 1952y 'Sheets-Sheet' g Filed June 28, 1947 INVENTOR'.

Sept 30, 1952 c. BRETSCHNEIDER 2,612,231

'INDIVIDUALLY S-WINGABLE DRIYEN AXLE Filed June 28, 1947 5 Shets-Sheet 3Patented Sept. 30, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,612,231 lINDTVIDUALLY sWlNGABLE DRIvEN AXLE Curt Bretschneider, Philadelphia, Pa.Application June 28, 1947, Serial No. 757,713

The object of this invention is to devise a novel differential drive formotor vehicle which provides independent springing for the drivingwheels, thereby eliminating unsprung weight, and which entirelyeliminates the necessity of employing universal joints, thus reducingthe friction and increasing the power deliveredA to the driving wheels.

A further object is to obtain a straight line drive shaft, with ease ofassembly.

' A further object is to eliminate 'a large number of machined partswhich have heretofore been deemed necessary.

With the foregoing and other objects in view as will hereinafter clearlyappear, myinvention comprehends a novel differential drive.

It further comprehends a novel differential drive wherein thecooperating parts are constructed and arranged in a novel manner.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention, I have shown in theaccompanying drawings a preferred embodiment of it which yin practicewill give satisfactory and reliable results. It is, however, to beunderstood that the various instrumentalities of which the inventionconsists can be variously arrangedv and organized and the invention isnot limited to the exact arrangement and organization of theseinstrumentalities as herein set forth.

Figure l is a sectional plan View of a differential drive embodying theinvention.

Figure 2 is a perspective view'of a bearing bracket.

Figure 3 is a vertical section, taken substantially on line 3-3 ofFigure 1.

Figure 4 is a side elevationy of va portion of a frame. j ,v l

Figure 5 is a perspective viewcf a portion of the housing. 1 Y

Figure 6 is a sectional perspective of Figure 5, taken substantially online 6-6 lof Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a plan view of the drive shaft in detached position. v v 1,

A Similar numerals of reference indicate'corresponding parts. .v y

Referring to the drawings :v

A drive shaft I' passes through a shaft IA, which latter is mounted 'inoneA of end members 3 in a bearing -4 in a housing 6. The forward end ofthe shaft I is splined at 55 to theA` spider of the differential gearingIU to drive the latter. The differential gearing, in addition to drivingshaft IA, also drives a shaft IB mounted in a ball bearing 4 in an endmember 3.

The shaft IA has a gear I2 fixed to it and mesh- 5 Claims. (cl. 18o-73)ing with a ring gear I4 fixed by bolts I5 to a carrier I6, whichvlatterhas a roller bearing Il between it and an outer tube I8.

The shaft IB has a gear I3 fixedto it and meshing with a ring gear 49,as will hereinafter be explained. An adjusting bolt I I is 'at the outerend of the shaft IB.

The ball bearings 4 mounted in closures 5 are adjusted by bolts 8 fixedto the bearings and provided with'nuts 9. Closures are secured tohousing 6by bolts 1. I

The carrier I6 y has a tubular extension I9 which telescopes into theinner end of an inner tube 20 and is xed to such tube by fasteningdevices 2I.

The tube I8 extends into an apertured portion of a frame 22 and is xedtherein by fastening devices 23. The frame 22 has pockets 24 to receivecoil springs 25. The frame has laterally converging, reinforcing sidebars 26y connected at their rear ends to cross bars 21, the latter beingfixed .to thev end members 3 by fastening devices 28. It will thus beclear that the frame 22 is loosely mounted on the driven shafts IA and'IB.

The housing 6 is recessed at 29 to receive a spacer 30 and a lockingmember 3| therefor. Spring pressed balls 32 are disposed between thespacer 3l) and the roller bearing I1, see Figure 3. The spacer 36 has anopening 33, see Figure 6, in which the outer tube I8 fits, and thehousing 6 has an elliptically shaped or oval opening 34 which providesclearance for thev rise and fall of the Aframe 22.

As seen in Figure l, a bifurcated bearing bracket 35 has its armsprovided with roller bearings 36 cooperating with the driven shafts IAand IB. A rod or axle 3l has its inner end fixed to the bearing bracketand cooperates with a roller bearing 38 in the carrier I6, and said rodpasses through theinner tube 20 and is threaded at its outer end toreceive a nut 39.

The wheel mounting tube 20 and carries a ball bearing 42 between the youter end of the tube 20 and the bearing member 4I. The bearing member4I has an inwardly spaced, outwardly extending annular flange 43 withwhichl asplit locking ring 44 cooperates, 'said flange 43f'being'groovedto receive the ring 44. The locking ring 44 is Xed to the flange 40 ofthe frame by bolts 45. The outer end of a bearing member 4I is recessedto receive a roller bearing 46 through which the rod 31 passes.

For ease of assembly, the housing 6 is centrally split to form sectionssecured together by fastening devices 41. The upper end of the housinghas an arrangement of bars 48 adapted to be connected to the frame of anautomobile.

Since the left portion of the driving mechanism is identical with thatof the right driving mechanism hereinbefore described, a detaileddescription of the construction and operation is believed to beunnecessary. The gear I3 meshes with a gear 49 of the same constructionand operation as the gear I4, the gear 49 being secured to a carrier 58.A bearing bracket I corresponds to the bracket 35 and has a rod 52 andits adjuncts and a wheel mounting.

Two Wheels are directly driven, the carriers IB and 5D being revolved toturn tubular axlesY 20 and 53. The bearing member 4I serves as amounting for a wheel, and is provided with studs and nuts 5i'. to securethe wheel to its mounting.

The operation will now be apparent to those skilled in this art and isas follows:

Assuming that the parts are in their assembled condition and the housingsecured to the frame of an automobile, the springs 25 bearing againstthe automobile frame tend t0 move the frames 22 downwardly, the upwardturning or swinging of the frames being resisted by the springs 25,.

The shaft I is driven by the engine and drives the differential `IIB toprovide the proper travel of the wheels in their movement around a curvein the well known manner. The gears I2 and I3 driven bythe differentialgearing drive their ring gears, carriers and tubular axles to effect therevolution of the bearing members 4l and the .s

wheels mounted thereon.

The frames and their adjuncts are loosely mounted on the shafts IA andIB as a unit, and their upward movement is resisted by the coil springs.It is to be understood that conventional shock vabsorbers `may bemounted in the same manner as inthe so-called knee-action mounting ofsteering'wheels for automobiles.

The herein described construction of dilferential has a minimum of partsand a vminimum of unsprung weight. u The clamping rings 4I!v and theirbolts L35 serve as a safety device to prevent a Wheel being'detached incase the nut 39 should become detached from a rod 31.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim` asnew and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

l. In a differential driving mechanism, a housing, a drive shaftymounted therein, a differential driven by 'said drive shaft, shaftsdriven by said differential, a bifurcated. bracket mounted on each ofsaid driven shafts, an axle fixed at one end to each of said brackets, aplurality of ring gears, each ring gear intergeared with lacorresponding one of said driven shafts, acarrier within the housing foreach ring gear, an inner tube fixed to each carrier, and receiving thecorresponding axle, an outer tube for each carrier, each of said outertubes mounted on a corresponding one of said carriers, a frame having anantifricti'on mounting on. said driven shafts Vand Y iixedly vconnectedwith saidouter tube, and a wheel mounting member connected to each ofsaid inner tubes and disposed in bearing relation with theother end ofeach of said axles.

2. The construction specified inclam 1, wherev in each of said outervtubes has a clearance with the respective housing, a spacer in eachhousing associated with and through which the corresponding outer tubepasses, the spacer having an outer wall conforming in contour to theinner wall of the housing, and means in said housing tending to maintainthe spacer in contact with the inner Wall of the housing.

3. In a differential driving mechanism, a housing, a drive shaft mountedtherein, aV differential driven by said drive shaft, shafts driven bysaid differential, a bracket having a mounting on said shaft sections,an axle fixed at one end to said bracket, a ring gear intergeared withwith one yof said driven' shafts, a carrier for said ring gear having anantifriction bearing for said axle, an inner tube fixed to said carrier,an outer tube on which said carrier has an antifriction mounting, aframe having an antifriction mounting on said driven shafts and xed tosaid outer tube, and a wheel mounting member connected to said innertube and disposed in bearing relation with the other end of the axle.

4. In a differential driving mechanism, a housing, a drive shaft mountedtherein, a differential driven'by said drive shaft, shafts driven by thedifferential, a bracket having an antifriction mounting on said drivenshafts, an axle fixed at one end to said bracket, a ring gearintergeared to one of said driven shafts, a carrier for the ring gear,an inner tube fixed to the carrier and rer ceiving said axle, an outertube on which the carrier is mounted, a frame fixed to the outer tubeand mounted on said driven shafts exteriorly of said housing, and awheel mounting member connected to said inner tube and disposed inbearing relation with the other end of the axle.

5. In a differential drive, a housing, a drive shaft mounted therein, adierential driven by the drive shaft, shafts driven by the differential,brackets mounted on said driven shafts, axles xed to said brackets, ringgears in the housing, one of which is intergeared'with one driven shaftand the other of which is intergeared with the other driven shaft,carriers for the ring gears, inner tubes xed to the carriers, outertubes on Whichthe carriers are mounted and extending through the housingwith a clearance, frames mounted on said shaft sections exteriorly ofthe housing and fixed to the outer tubes, and Wheel mounting membersconnected to said inner tubes and disposed in bearing relation with theother ends of said axles.

CURT BRETSC'HNEIDER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

